Skream Essential Mix: This Is Dubstep!

Science dropped by Martini & Jopparelli. Jul-07-2007

Once again, let’s talk about some good contemporary music. After all, we cannot live forever in the past (even if it would be great to live -at least musically- in a never ending 60′s and 70′s limbo). Let’s keep an eye on what’s happening in electronic music nowadays.

UK’s hottest producer, Skream from Tempa Records, is pumpin out the most original and innovative sound i’ve heard lately. His sound is called Dubstep. It originates from a contamination between Dub music and 2step (what else could you expect from that name? ;-) ).

Dubstep music is sometimes similar to the sound they call Grime, but i think Wikipedia has the perfect definition: “The dubstep sound is characterised by the prevalence of sub-bass, heavily syncopated rhythms, and reggae or movie samples, amongst other influences. Like another garage hybrid, Grime, the genre uses dark sounds, but it differs from Grime in being largely instrumental”.

Skream is now 21 years old and has been producing music since the age of 15: rumors say that he produced more than 1500 tracks. His biography on Tempa web site describes clearly the origins of his sound: “At first Skream specialised in one flavour of dubstep: dark. His clipped, techy minimal style became a trademark sound. Long before grime existed, it reflected dark murky streets and sinister nights, the sound of decaying London and its frustrated communities, stuck out in satellite towns and sink estates with nothing but a PC and freely available software to channel their frustration into. Stuck in front of a PC for days on end, that’s exactly what Skream did.”

I think you can get this kind of mood if you listen his Essential Mix: there are moments of full paranoia but some passages make you emerge from those dark london suburbs and reach the sky in a tripude of psychedelic rainbows. He experiments very much with the types of sounds he uses as well. Some of them are sort of alien sounds from another galaxy. I bet this mix is a perfect one to listen while you’re playing Quake 4 on your 42-inch screen: skream’s unusual blips and buzzer sounds could help you getting the right concentration for defeating the Stroggs’ alien army. I’ll try that mission as soon as possible.

In my previous post about vintage reggae tunes you got some serious dubs from the past. In this one, about 45 years later, you’ll realize how that style is still alive and still generating new forms of musical expression. The recipe is the same: dominance of bass, heavy use of reverbs and delays. Skream is only 21, but he is standing on the shoulders of giants.

[...] We have been already taught by Mr Jopparelli about Dubstep in his previous post on Skream, so it does not make any sense to repeat the lesson. You are good pupils, aren’t you? Let’s move forward and talk about this amazing DJ and producer. His name is now Plastician (what a name, crazy indeed, I love it) but before was Plasticman. He did change his name because he was threatened with legal action by Canadian techno artist Richie Hawtin also known as Plastikman. This maybe was a revenge as Richie Hawtin in the past was billed by Richie Rich for the same issue. Ok, after this story you can call me Gossipman ! What was the point? Yesss, the music… [...]

Word Great mix..didn’t even listen to the mix till the other week” 2008-June.
It is quite ignorant of me”..I thought the mix was going to be all (Wo-Wo)
as some of Skream’s tracks have be come :- (
That A said The Mix Is Fantastic!!!..Really pushing the sound forward ;- )
All the best..To One & all!!!!!,
Lee,

[...] ALL BBC One Essential mixes. It’s also a little sad. How can you EVER enjoy so much music? My favourite essential mix is the one done by Skream. « « Previous: How to get into any club (and anywhere [...]

Great discussion. And I REALLY like that you practice what you preach. Thats when you can tell a post has come together.
And Im also fascinated by how fresh you made the routine [admit it: what you just shared has been regurgitated millions of time. ;-)].
Ben Johnson said people dont need taught as much as they need reminding.
Good work.

[...] 3 years ago we said: this guy is phenomenal, we’ve never heard something like that (we were not the first nor the only one of course to say so). Now, in 2010, he’s changed forever the face of club music, sold tons of records and is constantly touring worldwide. And he just put out a new album which, even if it might not satisfy everyone (but remember that dubstep is not about albums at all), it’s going to be big because it will open even wider audiences to his music. [...]